SUSTAINABILITY​

The redevelopment of the former Civic Arena site seeks to be a sustainable new development in an urban context. The vital components of a sustainable design are not limited to buildings and site work but consider impacts to the broader community context. The goal of a sustainability is threefold – to reduce pollution, conserve energy and resources and to enhance natural and human systems. The approach to achieving a sustainable community in the former Civic Arena redevelopment has three parts:​

Develop the site in accordance with LEED for Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND) as a minimum requirement

Pursue a broad program of community benefits through the the Community Collaboration and Implementation Plan (CCIP) encompassing the utilization of minority and women owned business, local job creation, wealth building, a variety of housing options and celebrating the unigue history and legacy of the site and community.​

The Pittsburgh Penguins convened a group of community leaders and stakeholders to discuss the opportunities and state-of-the art practices for the sustainable development of the site. The results of the stakeholder effort are included in reports accessible through this website and have been synthesized into the Preliminary Land Development Plan as both requirements and goals. The opportunity to implement many of the recommendations will be a apart of the ongoing development of the site and will require the continued communication and collaboration with agencies, developers, industry and stakeholders to realize.

MATERIALSMaterials selection will be largely determined through the approvals process of the developer's final land development plan (FLDP). The PLDP, via the efforts of the materials sub-group committee, has taken the proactive stepto provide a listing of permitted / prohibited materials recommendations in the PLDP document as detailed in section 4.3 and 5.5 of the PLDP documentDownload the Materials Report »​WATER​The PLDP establishes both a minimum baseline recommendation for storm-water capture, retention, and quality. The sustainable strategies for the project are categorized as pertaining to the public right of way, urban open spaces, or private development blocks. Within the public right of way and in urban open spaces, the PLDP calls for the use of permeable pavement, water collection basins, tree pits, and native plantings among others. Private developers will be encouraged to utilize green roofs, permeable pavement, and native plantings within the development blocks.Download the Water Report »

ENERGY​​The site has a significant change in topography, and that combined with the goal of providing equal opportunities to all users make the integration of Universal Design parameters an important component of the design. Care should be given to the alignment of and grades of streets and the location of public open spaces to allow for an accessible public realm.

TRANSPORTATIONThe project has been and will continue to engage the public through the design and implementation process. Involvement has been channeled through focus groups, stakeholder gatherings and open public meetings and has brought meaningful improvements to the plan along the way. A Community Collaboration and Implementation Plan (CCIP) has been created and describes specific goals, strategies, and processes to create a positive impact and for maximizing the inclusion of the Greater Hill District community and its residents in certain aspects of the redevelopment project.